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One day I borrowed some small amount from a friend to start a business from a friend. From my estimation I was certain that I would make some good money if it happened to succeed. I labored and worked to profit but unfortunately the returns were very minimal than I had anticipated. I did not even accumulate enough money to pay myself. This is in consideration that the money I had used was borrowed. The friend I had borrowed money came to demand his share. I had to explain that I had no returns from the investment and that I was dead broke to repay his money on the agreed date. My good friend would hear none of it, the money I had borrowed was intended to pay his sister’s school fees and had diverted it to assist me. I had to repay the money, by nook or crook. Luckily, I didn’t have any tangible assets to be auctioned except a smart phone which I had bought earlier on. I had to auction it to pay a part of the debt and pacify my friend’s wrath. I could not imagine that a good friend could be so harsh to me. My friend still demanded me to pay the debt in full if I was ever to make peace with him. Having no assets and no sustainable form of employment I could not access any formal credit neither could I do anything to fully settle the debt. Never in my life have I felt so low and ashamed like at that time. My dignity and sense of self-worth was highly diminished by this incident. I had to labour and do anything within my ability to settle the debt. I used every resource and ability within my disposal to settle the debt without incurring any further debt. I painfully repaid the money with tears but the lesson I learnt will last a lifetime.
Since the occurrence of this incident, I learnt a major lesson that debt is an enemy. In twenty first century many people have indeed fallen in love with their enemy. Our countries, nations and government too have fallen in love with the enemy called debt. At first debt appears like a friend in need who comes on time to help. The pleasure of having access to free money and gratifying one’s desires instantly without sweat but based on your ability to repay makes many people feel good. They count on debt to fund their luxuries, lifestyle and necessities. There are even cases of people who have succeeded using loans and setting successful businesses. Almost all banks and financial institutions consider loans as their major source of income and fiercely advertise how they have the best repayment terms. Nations especially in third world countries count on debt to build their infrastructure and pay their workers. In other words the world is becoming driven by debt.

However, debt irrespective the name used to refer to it is never a friend. It is a foe who should be fought off with determination and dedication that one can expedite when fighting a cruel enemy. Debt is the modern day tool of enslavement and financial inequity. You cannot succeed on debt. Debt is a cunning enemy who allures the prey with fantasy and instant gratification but strikes when least expected without mercy. Sometimes I wonder what would happen in the world if the same effort put in repaying debt is put in accumulation of wealth, good relationships and integrity. Debts steal ones dignity, sense of self-worth and make the person with debts a modern day slave. There are many people whose only motivation to wake up is the mortgage or car loan. I have identified companies that thrive on debt instruments. To speak the truth there are slave institutions, companies, businesses and countries, whose management work hard to please and pay the master creditors. Treat all manner of debts like an enemy and with the suspicion it deserves. When you realize that debt is an enemy who seeks to disempower you and take away your purpose, sense of self-worth and dignity you will slowly but certainly pay all debts and keep them off. May you succeed in fighting this enemy. May Heaven grant you the wisdom to be content, patient and delay gratification.

I have been reading the works of George Clason ‘The richest man who lived in Babylon’. I do not intend to write a review about it but I must indicate that it is a classical of financial wisdom. The ideals conveyed in the book are as applicable to the Gen Y as it was applicable to the baby boomers and those who lived in nineteenth century. One aspect that caught my attention and left me meditating is a discourse on making work a friend. The book identified that work should be viewed as a friend and not an enemy.
Many young persons of our generation have described work as an enemy and work because it is necessary to pay their bills. Work does more to your life than paying bills, it is the very essence of living. Life would be very boring without work, or engagements that ensure that our mind, bodies are put into use. Work therefore puts the creative energies and potential in to use hence ensuring that life is meaningful and interesting. Idling and lazing around makes life uninteresting and makes one suffer from want and ill health. Out of personal experience, I can say that work whether mental or physical has rewards and should be taken positively.
Einstein, one of the geniuses that have lived on earth disputed that he was a genius and said that genius is one percent luck and ninety nine per-cent perspiration. Effort and energies must be spent and spent in right courses even though they may not have direct reward; eventually every labour has a profit in it. One of the major causes of unemployment in third world countries is not lack of education or skills; it is idling, and failure to work. Work is not having a job as many people would want us to believe or being employed by someone. Modern day thinking considers work as any effort that earns money. However, work is not only any effort that earns money, but rather any effort undertaken with diligence and thoughtfulness. The bible commends work and notes that ‘In all labour there is profit.’ Proverbs 14:23. Therefore one should not be afraid or ashamed of working and using energies to do what is right and doing it diligently, whether it pays immediately or not. This understanding helps one to put out efforts in the right pursuits with diligence and it guarantees that that all manner of work will have rewards.